Chris Andrews Update

THIS Christmas take a moment to think about Leonard Peltier. Leonard was convicted in 1977 of the murder in 1975 of two FBI agents during a confrontation at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Two others who were charged with the murders were found not guilty by reason of self-defence. Peltier has always denied involvement in the two deaths. He has been in prison for almost 45 years. A New Year resolution for a Citizens’ Assembly: If you take as read the normal health warning that a...

26 Dec 202115min

The last number eleven up the Rock AT A cruinniú in Glór na Móna I noticed a pop-up advertising one of the projects Glór na Móna is pioneering. ‘Faoi Scáth an tSléibhe – Connecting People and Place in the Upper Springfield Area’ is a heritage project aimed at making local history vibrant and accessible. The pop-up contained a photo of the number eleven bus wending its way along the Whiterock Road. That brought back many happy memories. I used to work in the Duke of York pub in Commercial Cour...

19 Dec 202114min

The Treaty In the early hours of 6 December 1921 the Irish delegates taking part in the negotiations with the British government signed The Anglo Irish Treaty. Their decision reinforced the terms of the partitionist Government of Ireland Act passed in the British Parliament one year earlier. In the years since then the decision to sign The Treaty has been discussed, debated, argued over and been the subject of countless books and articles. For some it was a necessary decision in the face of t...

11 Dec 202113min

Six of The Best: I’m reading Colin Broderick’s ‘Thats That,’ an evocative account of growing up in Altnamuskin in Tyrone at the height of the conflict. Colin’s mother and her efforts to protect her brood are at the heart of this story. Opinion Poll on Irish Unity: Only a planned conversation, involving all of those who wish to participate, can hope to find solutions to these issues. One thing is for sure. We republicans are not about the south taking over the north or vice versa. We a...

5 Dec 202116min

Gaels call for Citizens Assembly In a powerful video message 12,000 Ulster Gaels are appealing to our fellow Gaels in Munster, Leinster and Connaught to sign and endorse a letter to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin asking the Irish government to take the lead in planning for Irish Unity by establishing an All-Island Citizens Assembly “reflecting the views of citizens North and South to achieve maximum consensus on a way forward” toward an “agreed shared Ireland.” Back of Boris Comhgairdheas to ...

28 Nov 202118min

Rewriting History "The first casualty when war comes is the truth” said US Senator Hiram Johnson in 1917. We know only too well from our own recent experience of reporting on the decades of conflict how true this is. However, it misses the equally important other side of the coin – the victor writes the history." Ratcheting up the Brexit crisis For now the DUP and Johnson still appear determined to create a real crisis with the EU. London has set a December deadline for a deal with th...

20 Nov 202116min

The Sunday World apologises My case had to do with an article in the Sunday World in September 2015.. For me this was always about asserting my own integrity and I think the case succeeded in that. It is my intention to donate the proceeds of the settlement to good causes. These will include the Irish language sector, Green Cross, The Bobby Sands Trust, The Moore Street Preservation Trust, the homeless and other projects that I have a grá for. Eradicating Poverty In my view we will not erad...

14 Nov 202115min

Criostóir de Baróid Criostóir de Baróid died two weeks ago, surrounded by his family in Marymount Hospice in Cork where his wife Máire had died in February. About 20 people from Ballymurphy travelled to Cork by car and train to participate in Criostóir’s funeral. They were there to pay their respects to a man, who in the 1970’s along with his son Ciaran became a part of the extended Ballymurphy family. Theresa McArdle The suddenness of Theresa McArdle’s death last week was a shock to all of...

7 Nov 202121min